Encouragement for Giuliani, prostate

Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, Yankees manager Joe Torre, New York City
Police Commissioner Howard Safir, and New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani have
all been recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. The prostate is a small,
walnut-sized gland located around the urethra. It manufactures part of the
fluid that makes up the semen that carries the sperm to its ultimate
destination. I was told by three doctors that every male who lives long
enough will develop prostate cancer.

I was diagnosed with prostate cancer last October. I had assumed that if
I reached the age of 73 without getting the disease, that somehow I was
immune from it. But, as I found out, the longer you live, the greater the
chances are that you will develop prostate cancer. Longevity has its
hazards. But many oldsters who have a slow-growing prostate cancer usually
die of something else.

I was alerted to the possibility of having the disease when after a
routine blood test, I was informed that my PSA level was high. The PSA is a
protein-specific antigen used to monitor cancerous growth. It is not the
most accurate indicator of cancer, but it is an alert signal. I was advised
to have a biopsy. But I felt fine, had no symptoms at all, and decided to
wait. Besides, my urologist had described to me all the things that could go
wrong in a biopsy. Doctors must routinely warn their patients of all
possible complications that may develop in any medical procedure so that
they are protected from lawsuits.

In any case, I decided to wait and see what my next PSA reading would be.
Meanwhile, I read a book on prostate cancer that scared the daylights out of
me. So when I was told after the next test that my PSA was still too high, I
decided to have the biopsy. Apart from a little discomfort, the biopsy was
performed without any pain or complications.

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Sure enough, I had prostate cancer. I was told that I was too old for
surgery. Instead, the treatment would consist of radiation and hormonal
pills. The pills would suppress the production of testosterone that feeds
prostate cancer cells, and the radiation would destroy the cancerous cells
in the prostate and reduce the gland to the size of a peanut.

In preparation for all of this, I had a chest x-ray, two MRIs, a bone
scan, and many blood tests. The radiation treatments, 36 of them, took about
a month and a half to complete. All of this was done at the Brigham and
Women's Hospital in Boston. The radiation therapists and nursing staff were
wonderful in every respect. Apart from the time spent driving to and from
the hospital and the 15 minutes for the treatments, I was able to keep
working at my usual pace with no loss of energy. At the end of the
treatment, the therapists gave me a diploma.

One of the side effects of the radiation is the need to urinate quite
often, particularly at night. I didn't suffer from any other side effect, so
I can't speak of what other patients might experience.

As for the hormonal pills, I will be taking them until the middle of
June. Their only annoying side effect are hot flashes, the kind that women
suffer during menopause. It's a learning experience for any man.

I was told by my doctor, one of the world's experts on prostate cancer,
that I could expect to live the next five years without a prostate problem.
He also told me that it was his expectation that radiation plus hormonal
pills would probably replace surgery as the preferred treatment for all
prostate cancer patients, regardless of age.

The reason why I've written all of this is because the public should know
that prostate cancer, diagnosed early enough, can be treated without
disrupting an individual's work life. Of course, it all depends on the
individual, one's ability to tolerate radiation and pills. But I see no
reason why Rudy Giuliani can't pursue a vigorous campaign for the Senate
even though he will have to take time out for his treatment. His love life
is another matter altogether.

One other consideration. Prostate cancer does not improve one's sex life.
In fact, it has a rather dampening effect on sexual interest. But that's a
small price to pay for many more years of life with its so many other
pleasures. Of course, for those who can't do without an active sex life,
there is always Viagra.

Now that we know that all men are susceptible to prostate cancer, it is
important to know as much about the subject as possible. Research is
advancing at a breathtaking pace, and one should keep abreast of the latest
developments. Maintaining a healthy prostate is easy enough these days with
all of the dietary supplements and herbal pills now available. Periodic
blood tests are the best means of catching the disease in its earliest
stages. And that's the key to successful treatment.

Samuel L. Blumenfeld is the author of eight books on education,
including "NEA: Trojan Horse in American Education," "The Whole Language/OBE
Fraud," and "Alpha-Phonics: A Primer for Beginning Readers." All of
Blumenfeld's books are available on Amazon.com.